Buckle.



Patented Feb. l5, 190|.

A. F.' FULLER. BUCKLE. (Appumion med het. 27, 1900.)

(No Model.)

INVENTOR;

MEER? F.

FULLR ATTORNEY m: Nonnls versus ce.. PHOTO-uwe.. wAsumcfo UNTTED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

ALBERT F. FULLER, OF NEWARK, NEW JERSEY, ASSIGNOR TO THE J. MERGOTT COMPANY, OF NEW JERSEY.

BUCKLE.

SPECIFICATION formig pere ef Letters Patent No. 667,308, aerea February 5, 190i.

Application tiled October 27, 1900. Serial No. 34,566. lNo model.)

To all whom, it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALBERT F.' FULLER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Newark, in the county of Essex and State of New Jersey, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Buckles; and I do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specication.

My present invention has reference more particularly to improvements in buckles, and the invention relates to a novel construction of buckle which is adapted for use on ladies belts, but is also applicable for other uses.

My present invention therefore has for its primary object to provide a novel construction of buckle for belts and analogous articles which shall be of a simple construction and in which the locking or holding members can be easily and quickly manipulated; and, furthermore, the invention has for its further objects to provide a buckle comprising a pair of sliding members, one of which is provided with serrations or other suitable holding means and the other member being provided with an oscillatory operating and holding clasp which is actuated and retained in its holding or locked engagement with the serrations or holding means on the one sliding member by means of a spring or other actuating means secured to said holding-clasp and arranged in a position between the under surface of said clasp and the sliding member with which said clasp or link is connected.

A further object of this invention is to provide a buckle which is especially adapted for ladies belts and in which the use of a spring on the back of the buckle is entirely avoided, the spring in the construction hereinafter set forth being concealed from view between the holding-catch and the sliding member and otfering no projecting points or sharp corners on the back of the buckle members to wear the-material with which the buckle is used or to prick the fingers when manipulating the members of the buckle.

Other objects and advantages of my present invention will appear in the accompanying specication, and the novelty in the present case resides in the general arrangements and combinations of the various parts, as well as in the peculiarities of the construction thereof, all of which will be more fully described in the following description of the same and then pointed out in the claims hereto appended, which form a part of this speciiication.

The invention 'is clearly illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure l is a faceview of a belt-buckle embodying the principles of this invention. Fig. 2 is a back view ofthe buckle, the slide members of the buckle in both gures being represented in their held or locked engagement. Fig. 3 is a side or edge View of the buckle with the holding catch or link on the one member of the buckle in its locked or held engagement with the holding means on the other member of the buckle, and Fig. 4 is a similar view of the buckle with the holding or locking catch or link raised from its holding engagement with the holding means on the one slide member of the buckle to permit the separation or adjustment of the two members. Fig. 5 is a face view of the two slide members of the buckle, the same being represented in their separated or disengaged positions. Fig. 6 is a longitudinal vertical section of the several parts of the buckle in their locked or held positions, said section being taken on line 6 G in Fig. l of the drawings. Fig. 7 is a similar section taken on line 7 7 in said Fig. l; and Fig. 8 is a cross-section of one of the said slide members, said section being taken on line S 8 in Fig. 5. Fig. 9 is a View of a blank from which the holding catch or link is formed, and Fig. l0 is a perspective view of one form of spring to beA used with said holding catch or link.

Similar letters of reference are employed in all of the said above-described drawings to indicate corresponding parts.

In the said drawings, a and b represent the two slide members ot' the buckle, the same being made of metal, which may be suitably ornamented on their faces and are of any desirable configuration in outline. These plates or slide members ct and b are respec- IOO tively provided With rearwardly-extending lugs or ears c.' and b, which are formed with holes or perforations a2 and b2 for the securing therein of suitable holding-pins c' and c', to which the respective ends of the belt or other analogous article are to be fastened in the usual manner. 0f course it will be understood that any other fastening means may be employed in connection with the said plates or slide members a and b for securing the ends of the belt or other article to the same. cured in the holes or perforations 0.2 and b2 of the respective ears or lugs a and b' by means of heads c2, which are formed on the ends of said pins; but it will be understood that said pins may be otherwise secured in position on the backs of the respective slide membersy of the buckle. As is clearly illustrated in the several figures of the drawings, the said plate or slide member a is provided with a longitudinally-extending raised portion a3, forming a suitable rib, and the other member?) is likewise provided with a longitudinaly-extending raised portion b3, which is formed with serrations or holdingteeth b4, struck up therein, or with any other suitable holding means. The said slide memberZ-J is also provided with narrow side iianges b5 adjacent to the longitudinal edges of the said raised portions b, substantially in the manner illustrated in Figs. l and 6.

From an inspection of the several igures of the drawings it will be seen that when the slide member b is slid over the member a the raised portion a3 of said member ct will slide into the curved and raised portion b3 of the member b, and the said side flan-ges' b5 will slide upon the outer surface of the said member ct contiguous to the edges of the longitudinal rib or projection d3, thereby imparting a positive action of the said parts when th-us passed one over the other. The saidr slide member a is also provided with a pair of oppositely-placed holes or openings or slotsA a6, into which extend the ears or lugs d of the catch-plate or link d, each ear or lug d', as will be seen from an inspection of Figs. 7and 9, being provided with an offset or cut-away portion d2, which forms a shoulder and which is made to bear directly upon the upper surface of the plate or slide member ct at one end of the opening or slot a6 when the said lug or ear d at each side of the catch-plate or j i any ornamental design.

link (l is passed through the said hole or opening d6 and secured in its operative position by the bent or turned-over portion d3 to each lug or ear d in the manner represented in Figs. 2, 7, and 8 of the drawings. Thesaid offsets 612 actas fulcrumal supports,while the end portions cl3 of the lugs or ears d' of the catchplate or link d are suflciently turned down that the said catclrplate or link d will be fully capable of an oscillatory motion and will be operatively secured in its proper position upon the upper surface of the slide member a. Secured against the under sidexof the end These pins c and c' are suitably se K of said catch plate or link d by bending the said oppositely-placed lugs d4 down and upon the said spring-plate e in the manner illustrated more particularly in Figs. 6 and 8 of the drawings. The said springplate or device e is preferably made horseshoe-shaped,as illustrated in Fig. l0, being provided with a pair ofcnrved end pieces e', the free ends of which bear against the outer surface of the said I slide member a on opposite sides of its raised portion or rib a3 thereon, whereby under normal conditions the end portion d4 of the catch-plateor link d. is forced in the di-rection of the arrow a; in Fig. 3,. while the opposite end portion d of said catch-plate or link d is forced in the opposite direction (indicated by the arrow x' in said Fig. 3,) to bring said end'portion d6 in positive. hold-ing or locked engagement with one of the serrations or teeth b4 onthe slide member b.

The arrangement and construction of the severalv partsherein described are such that when the two slide members a and b of the buckle are slid over each other in one direction the end portion d6 of the catch plate or link d will slip over the serrations or teeth b4; but when the pull ou the slide-members of 1 the buckle is in an opposite direction then the parts will be held in their locked positions. In: this man-ner the belt to wh-ich the buckle Sis attached can be readily adjusted around the waist of a person and when so adjusted will be held inits adjusted 4position until a 'l slight pressure-is brought by the person wear- 3 ing the belt and its buckle against the end i portion d5 of the catch plate or link d in the directionl ofthe arrow y., as clearly indicated in Fig. Ltof they drawin-gs.

This action will cause the holding end portion d6 of the said The exterior of the buckle can be made of Its operation and p construction are simple. and eective for the purposes of a belt-buckle, in whichy the parts can be quickly and easily manipulated for the proper adjustment 0f the belt around the body of they wearer, and in which there is no undue strain u-pon the connecting partsv of the holding catch or link which might force vthe holding parts from their locked engagement, and thereby render the device w-hen in use inoperative. Furthermore, there being no spring upon the back of the buckle there will be. no. projecting corners,'which would IOO IIO

tend to wear the material of which the beltis made and which might prick the fingers of the person while in [he act of manipulating the parts of the buckle.

The buckle can be put to many different uses, and is especially adapted' for belt-buckles and for use with Suspenders, garters, and the like.

I am fully aware that changes may be made in the several arrangements and combinations of the parts without departing from the scope of my presentinvention. Hence I do not limit my invention to the exact arrangements and combinations of the parts as herein described and as illustrated in the accompanying drawings, nor do I confine myself to the exact details of the construction of the said part-s.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim isl. A buckle, comprising, a pair of slide members, movable one on the other, serrations or holding-teeth on one of said members, a catch-plate or link, means connected with said catch-plate or link for retaining it in its position on one of said slide members, and an actuating means between a portion of said catch-plate or link and the upper surface of said slide member on which said catch-plate or link is arranged to oscillate, constructed and arranged to normally force the one end of said catch-plate orlink in engagement with a tooth or serration and force the other end of said catch-plate or link in an outward direction away from the faces of the slide members, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

2. A buckle, comprising, a pair of slide members, movable one on the other, serrations or teeth on one of said members, a catchplate or link, means connected with said catchplate or link for retaining it in its position on one of said slide members, and a'spring between a portion of said catch-plate or link and the upper surface of said slide member on which said catch-plate or link is arranged to oscillate, constructed and arranged to normally force the one end of said catch-plate or link in engagement with a tooth or serration and force-the other end of said catch-plate or link in an outward direction away from the faces of the slide members, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

3. A buckle, comprising, a pair of slide members, movable one on the other, serrations or holding-teeth on one of said members, and the other slide member being provided with a pair of oppositely-placed openings, a catch-plate or link, fulcrumal posts or lugs on said catch-plate or link arranged in said openings in the slide member and having their free end portions bent over against the back of said slide member, means connected with said fulcrumal posts or lugs for supporting said catch-plate or link in position on the outer face of the slide member, and means connected with said catch-.plate or link for normally holding one end of said catchplate or link in holding engagement with a tooth or serra-tion, and forcing the other end of said catch-plate or link in a direct-ion away from the faces of the said slide members, substantially as and for the purposes setA forth.

4. A buckle, comprising, a pair of slide members, movable one on the other, serrations or holding-teeth on one of said members, and the other slide member being provided with a pair of oppositely-placed openings, a catch-plate or link, fulcrumal posts or lugs on said catch-plate or link arranged in said openings in the slide member and having their free end portions bent over against the back of said slide member, and a spring between a portion of said catch-plate or link and the upper face or surface of said slide member on which said catch-plate or link is arranged to oscillate, constructed to normally force the one end of said catch-plate or link in separable holding engagement with a tooth or serration and force the other end of said catch-plate or link in an outward direction away from the faces of the slide members,sub stantially as and for the purposes set forth.

5. A buckle, comprising, a pair of slide members, movable one on the other, serrations or holding-teeth on one of said members, and the other slide member being provided with a pair of oppoSitely-placed openings, a catch-plate or link, fulcrumal posts or lugs on said catch-plate or link arranged in said openingsin the slide member and having their free end portions bent over and loosely placed against the back of said slide member, an olfset on each fulcrumal post or lug bearing upon the upper surface of the said slide member at one end of each opening therein, for supporting said catch-plate or link in its oscillatory position on the outer face of the said slide member,and means connected with said catchplate or link for normally holding one end of said catch-plate or link in holding engagement with a tooth or serration, and forcing the other end of said catch-plate or link in a direction away from the faces of the said slide members, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

6.,A buckle, comprising, a pair of slide` members, movable one on the other, serrations or holding-teeth on one of said members, and the other slide member being provided with a pair of oppositely-placed openings, a catch-plate or link, fulcrumal posts or lugs on said catch-plate or link arranged in said openings in the slide member and having their free end portions bent over and loosely placed against the back of said slide member, an offset on each fulcru mal post or lug bearing upon the upper surface of lthe said slide member at one end of each opening therein, for supporting said catch-plate or link in its oscillatory position on the outer face of the said slide member, and a spring between a portion of said catch-plate or link and the upper face or surface of said slide member on which said catch-plate or link is arranged to oscillate,

IOO

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constructed to normally force the one end of said catch-plate or link in separable holding engagement with a tooth or serration and force the other end of said catch-plate or link in an outward direction away from the faces ofthe slide members, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

'7. A buckle, comprising a pair of slide members, movable one on the other, one of said slide members being provided With a holding or locking means,an oscillatory catchplate or link on the other slide member, and an actuating-spring secured at one end of said catch-plate or link, said spring having' a free end portion in sliding engagement with the outer face of the slide member with which said catch-plate or link is connected, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

8. A buckle, comprising a pair of slide members, movable one on the other, one of said slide members being provided with a holding orlocking means,an oscillatory catchplate or link on the other slide member,hold

ing-lugs d4 on said catch-plate or link, and a 

